Of All Trades

We are creating an active and engaged community of globally-minded citizens who strive to build communities which advocate for greater dignity and respect for all. Through educational and workforce-related programming and curriculum, we enable newcomers, such as refugees and immigrants, to advance leadership, critical inquiry, and persuasive communication skills, helping them foster increased self-agency, civic engagement, and ultimately, civic responsibility.

The Problem

Critically important for newcomers in the pathway toward integration is accessing “inclusive and equitable education,” and “full productive employment and decent work for all.” Only one percent of refugees today have access to university education. Coupled with this, adult refugees face steep barriers to finding employment commensurate with their skill levels. In the U.S., there are nearly two million immigrants with post-secondary credentials who are either under-employed or unemployed, of which nearly 1.5 million work in low-skilled positions.

Our Approach

We strive to bridge this cultural “gap” with the advancement of leadership, critical inquiry, and persuasive communication skills. Recent research outlines the importance of soft skill competency to enable local and workplace integration, while also addressing the global talent skill gap. Persuasive communication skills taught through modes of argumentation and debate, the case method, and inter- and intra-group discussions, will allow learners to engage in active inquiry and listening, critical discussions around cross-cultural and cross-functional, collaborative project work, and constructive feedback. These skills are important for individual development and advancement and essential for developing an informed, engaged, and participatory citizenry.

Our Team

Ming-Hao Shiao, project director

Susan Berg-Herman (Representative)
Director of Strategic Initiatives, Asian Services in Action, Inc.

Maria Mancinelli
Programme Manager, Freedom of Religion or Belief & Foreign Policy Initiative, University of Sussex Assistant Research Fellow, ‘Religions and International Relations’ Programme, Italian Institute for Political and International Studies (ISPI)

Meredith Meyers
Founder/CEO, Infinite Potential LLC

Tariq Tarey
Director, Refugee Social Services, Jewish Family Services
Visual ethnographer, The Somali Documentary Project

Contact information

Ming-Hao Shiao, project director
ming@ofalltrades.global